Song For Equity, a Mural for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

This project was centered in joy, equity, cross-generational learning, and deep community engagement when we partnered with the MakeIt Haverhill community space in the working-class, Latine-majority community of Mt.Washington, Haverhill, Massachusetts to mentor and create a mural with three emerging artists from Haverhill Highschool. The goal was to mentor them on how to create public art: from exploring space and developing an idea, to the logistics of painting and the considerations when creating a lasting mark in their community. Public conversations and brainstorming sessions drew varied inspiration including broad themes of immigration, hope, education, combating racism and injustice, freedom, nature, protest, and sunlight. This expansive dialogue resulted in a lush, vibrant and poignant public mural, Song For Equity, a Mural for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion which showcases three sets of hands of different skin tones nestled in a dense mix of local fora - vines, leaves, branches and flowers each holding symbols related to the mural’s guiding principles.